I’ll Have the Martyrdom with the Garnish of Suffering and Guilt on the Side, Please

Is suffering growth? The tearing of muscle fibers for the fortified regeneration of thicker, stronger muscles?

Perhaps. But it’s a rather martyristic way to look at it. Martyrdom seems to be misguided altruism. True, we as animals have developed a form of altruism that often requires sacrifice for the good of another or a whole. But our linguistic perspective of it is rather funny. Sacrifice – such a heavy, melodramatic word. As if giving your bus seat to an elderly lady is warrant for the “sacrifice” label. Surprise, surprise: the root itself is derived from religiosity, something “sacred.”

I’m not going to go to great lengths to talk about hypocrisy of the likes of Mama Teresa. I’m just focusing on why “sacrifice” and suffering have been put on such high – dare I say ethereal-reaching – moral pedestals. But that partially answers it, really, that darned little “morality” stuff.

Western civilization sits firmly on a thorny foundation of Christianity, the “thou shalt nots” now just called “common sense.” It’s common sense in the way that integral calculus is common sense to the child of hardass math professor. That was a terrible simile. Basically, it is common sense because we have been immersed in these teachings for generations upon generations.

Ah! Just like it was common sense that that big bright yellow thing in the sky went around us, not the other way around. There, that’s better.

We have been raised in a society where pride is sin and guilt is glory. Everything in moderation, dearies. Confidence is key without being an asshole. Guilt is a helpful reminder of what not to do, but there’s no need to take a cat-o-nine tails to your back, you crazy motherfucker.

Sorry. Stupid people bring out the French in me.

All in all, we have got to stop thinking of our good deeds as possible only because of sacrifice and suffering. We need to reverse program our moral complexes, making it so that we tsk at the sorry, guilty, self-suffering saps and encourage people to erect themselves without fear of going to Hell.

This ramble has been brought to you by Starbucks highly caffeinated chai and the makers of Boredom. Good day.

4 thoughts on “I’ll Have the Martyrdom with the Garnish of Suffering and Guilt on the Side, Please”

“we have got to stop thinking of our good deeds as possible only because of sacrifice and suffering. We need to reverse program our moral complexes, making it so that we tsk at the sorry, guilty, self-suffering saps and encourage people to erect themselves without fear of going to Hell.”